Fresno State announced its involvement in the United Nations Global Compact, the world’s largest voluntary corporate citizenship initiative. The University committed to making the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact, as well as the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, part of its strategy, culture, day-to-day teaching, research and service to the local and global community.
“As the first university in the CSU and UC systems to be accepted into the compact, Fresno State is taking an important step to adopt sustainable and socially responsible efforts,” said Saúl Jiménez- Sandoval, Fresno State’s provost and interim president-select. “We now join over 12,000 for-profit businesses, nonprofits and institutes of higher education in committing to these principles which include human-rights, labor, environment, anti-corruption and other critical efforts that advance societal goals.”
Focusing on these principles, Fresno State will enhance efforts in faculty and student-led applied research, thought leadership and revisions of campus-wide practices to model sustainability. Members of a Global Compact Steering Committee will also spearhead community presentations and outreach to encourage others to partner in this global effort.
“We are looking forward to our first community event which will be launched in the 39th annual Agribusiness Management Conference on Nov. 12,” said Dr. Julie Olson-Buchanan, chair of the UN Global Compact Steering committee and interim dean for the Craig School of Business at Fresno State. “Hosted by the Institute for Food and Agriculture, this virtual webinar will include an overview of the UN Compact, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and focused attention on food security, which is a particularly urgent concern in our community.”
The Agribusiness Management Conference will target current agricultural trends related to state, national and world economics; United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals; food security; wine business marketing; hospitality business models; artificial intelligence and big data in agribusiness; and a new, national student agriculture employability skills certificate program being developed by Fresno State faculty and students.
For more information about the Agribusiness Management Conference, contact Allyson Baldus at abaldus@csufresno.edu. To learn more about the United Nations Global Compact at Fresno State, visit http://www.fresnostate.edu/craig/fresnostate-unitednationsglobalcompact.html.
